Directions from Cherbourg to Le Mans.

Leaving the port area follow the signs at the roundabout for CAEN, route nationale 13 (RN13).  Go straight out of CHERBOURG up the big hill. Stay on the RN13, after about 30miles you will see signs to CARENTAN. Then the road goes through an underpass, just after which you take a turning to the right to St. LO (N174).

Coming into St.LO at a junction at the bottom of a very long hill, turn left and go to town centre ( signed to Caen and ‘centre ville’).  You must go through the town centre, left and right everywhere, but look for and follow signs to VIRE – look hard as it is not very clear – still the N174.

Into VIRE the road splits – you fork left under a railway bridge heading again for ‘centre ville’. At the roundabout take the exit opposite, marked to MORTAIN (D977).

Go straight through MORTAIN and just as you leave there is a hairpin bend to the right, BUT you turn left on the hairpin, signed to LE TEILLEUL. In only 100 metres turn right (D32).

Entering LE TEILLEUL at junction take the road to the left marked ‘centre ville’, NOT the one marked ‘autres directions’. At the traffic lights go straight over the road to GORRON (D32/D5).

On reaching GORRON you follow a small ring road following signs to MAYENNE. At MAYENNE turn right, marked to LAVAL. Go over a bridge over a deep ravina and the Mayenne river, and at the next roundabout turn left, for ALENCON/LE MANS. At the next major junction turn to the right, now Le Mans only, not Alençon.

Now simply follow this road through BAIS, SILLE LE GUILLAUME and CONLIE.You will eventually meet the main RN158 between Alencon and Le Mans, turn right and follow down through St. Saturnin into Le Mans itself, where there is a large roundabout to join the autoroute, but carry straight on and you are on a dual carriageway going up between the shopping complex, you should see Auchan hypermarket on your left. At the top of the hill is a large roundabout, take the slip road to the right immediately before it to join the ring road, heading for ANGERS/ TOURS. 

Stay on the ring road, after a couple of miles you will go over a  fairly new junction, carry on and you will come to traffic lights with an old metal flyover crossing over the ring road. Carry straight on and then at the next traffic lights (there is a big shop selling swimming pools on the right)  the road to the right is signed to TOURS, take this turn, it is the RN138. You should see the revamped Carrefour hypermarket on your left as you go up the hill, carry on over the top of the hill, now you have two options. Carry straight on under a flyover and you are at Tertre Rouge corner and going onto the Mulsanne, OR there is a sliproad to the right just before the flyover and just before that there is a road to the right – it is just as you start to go downhill. If you take that road, at the far end turn left and this will bring you to the traffic lights at the main entrance.

This is probably the one of the shortest routes from Cherbourg to Le Mans, if you look at the map you will see numerous alternatives, it is arguably the prettiest. If you want the quickest, then drive down off the Cherbourg peninsula but carry on the N13 to Caen then pick up the ring road and then the road to Falaise/Argentan and follow the directions already posted from Caen/Ouistreham. It is further, but marginally quicker with a much greater chance of a speeding fine!! If you stick to speed limits then use the shorter route.